Ecology

Ecology is a vibrant and readable textbook featuring real-world cases and memorable key concepts to engage students and encourage them to see the real-life applications of ecology. It focuses on the integration of material across the levels at which ecology is studied (from individuals to populations to communities to ecosystems). Ecology's structure ensures that students are always reminded of connections between these levels as well as links to evolution and helps them grasp how events in nature are interconnected. The second edition has been updated to sharpen the book as a learning tool for students and as a teaching tool for professors. The text has been thoroughly revised, including the addition of several new pedagogical features. These include: * Climate Change Connection-Climate change has broad ecological effects with important implications for conservation and ecosystem services. Most of the chapters include a major climate change example (many of which are new) and students are directed to additional content on the Companion Website. These Climate Change Connections discuss how the example connects to other levels of the ecological hierarchy, while enriching the student's understanding of ongoing climate change. * Ecological Toolkit-Many chapters include an Ecological Toolkit that describes ecological 'tools' such as aspects of experimental design, remote sensing and GIS, mark-recapture techniques, stable isotope analysis, DNA fingerprinting, etc. * Figure Legend Questions-Each chapter includes 3-6 Figure Legend Questions, highlighted in colour at the end of the legend. These questions encourage students to make sure they understand the figure's content. Questions range from those that test whether students understand the axes or other simple aspects of the figure to those that ask students to evaluate hypotheses. * Hands-On Problems-This popular feature of the Companion Website asks students to manipulate data, explore mathematical aspects of ecology in more detail, interpret results from real experiments, and analyse simple model systems using simulations. The second edition includes both revised and new Hands-On Problems. In choosing topics for the Hands-On Problems, as well as for the In-Class Exercises (see next bullet), the authors have attempted to address common student misconceptions or preconceptions. * In-Class Exercises-For the second edition, a new type of inquiry exercise has been added. These are ready-to-go active teaching and learning problems that can be used in class or as homework. Many are brief, taking about 10 minutes. The book is supported by a companion website (http://sites.sinauer.com/ecology2e/) offering the following aids to revision: Chapter Summaries, Chapter Outlines, Hands-On Problems, Flashcards & Key Terms, Glossary, Online Quizzes (these require lecturer activation), Web Extensions, and Web Stats Review.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: The Web of Life Unit I: Organisms and Their Environment The Physical Environment The Biosphere Coping with Environmental Variation: Temperature and Water Coping with Environmental Variation: Energy Evolution and Ecology Unit II: Populations Life History Population Distribution and Abundance Population Growth and Regulation Population Dynamics Unit III: Interactions among Organisms Competition Predation and Herbivory Parasitism Mutualism and Commensalism Unit IV: Communities The Nature of Communities Change in Communities Biogeography Species Diversity in Communities Unit V: Ecosystems Production Energy Flow and Food Webs Nutrient Supply and Cycling Unit VI: Applied and Large-Scale Ecology Conservation Biology Landscape Ecology and Ecosystem Management Global Ecology

About the Author :
MICHAEL L. CAIN, having opted for an early retirement to focus full-time on writing, continues to bring his expertise to this book. Dr. Cain received his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University, USA, taught at New Mexico State University, USA and the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, USA, and is currently affiliated with Bowdoin College, USA. He has instructed students across a wide range of subjects, including introductory biology, ecology, field ecology, evolution, botany, mathematical biology, and biostatistics. His research interests include: plant population ecology; long-distance dispersal; ecological and evolutionary dynamics in hybrid zones; and spatial spread and search behavior in plants and animals. WILLIAM D. BOWMAN is Professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA, affiliated with both the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research. He earned his Ph.D. from Duke University, USA. Dr. Bowman has taught courses in introductory ecology, plant ecology, plant-soil interactions, and ecosystems ecology, and for several years has directed undergraduate summer field research programs. He is co-editor of the 2001 book, Structure and Function of an Alpine Ecosystem, Niwot Ridge, Colorado (Oxford University Press). His research focuses on plant ecology, biogeochemistry, and community dynamics. SALLY D. HACKER is Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology at Oregon State University, USA. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Brown University, USA. She has taught courses in general ecology, community ecology, marine biology, and field ecology. As a community ecologist interested in natural and managed marine, dune, and estuarine communities, Dr. Hacker's research explores species interactions and how they influence community formation and species diversity.